Persian Dill Rice With Peas Recipes

PERSIAN RICE WITH BLACK-EYED PEAS AND DILL

Steps:

• 1 Place the rice in a bowl and cover with water by several inches; add 1/4 teaspoon of the salt
• 2 Let the rice soak for at least 1 hour and up to overnight
• 3 Drain well
• 4 Combine the 1/4 cup of water, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1 tablespoon of the turmeric and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl; whisk to blend
• 5 Fill a 3-quart or larger enameled or well-seasoned cast-iron pot about halfway with water and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of salt
• 6 Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, add the rice, and cook, boiling, until the rice is about three-quarters done: It should stick to your teeth when you bite a grain but shouldn't be crunchy
• 7 (Start checking after 1 minute, but it might take up to 10 minutes, depending on the age of the rice and how long you soaked it
• 8 )
• 9 Drain the rice in a large colander and cool it slightly by gently lifting scoops of rice with a spoon to turn and fluff the grains
• 10 Dry the pot well, and coat the bottom and sides generously with oil
• 11 Set it over medium-high heat; once the oil just begins to emit a wisp of smoke, turn off the heat
• 12 Wipe out the pot with a paper towel and coat the bottom and sides with a thin film of fresh oil
• 13 Sprinkle the bottom of the pot with the remaining pinch of ground turmeric and gently spoon one-third of the rice into the pot
• 14 Layer with 1/2 cup of the black-eyed peas, another third of the rice, the remaining 1/2 cup of black-eyed peas and the last third of the rice
• 15 Lightly press the rice with the back of a spoon to even it out and slightly compress the grains
• 16 Add the dried lime, if desired
• 17 Drizzle the reserved water-oil-turmeric mixture over the rice
• 18 Drape the top of the pot with a clean cotton or linen kitchen towel, then put the lid on the pot (over the towel)
• 19 Pull the corners of the towel up over the lid and tie, or secure with a rubber band
• 20 Set the pot over very low heat; cook, covered, for 30 minutes without disturbing it
• 21 Uncover and test for the formation of a crust by inserting a knife through the layers to the bottom of the pot
• 22 If it doesn't feel crusty, replace the towel and lid and continue cooking over very low heat until a good crust forms
• 23 That can take up to another 1 1/2 hours, depending on the heat of your burner and how long you soaked the rice
• 24 Remove from the heat; let it rest, covered, for at least 20 minutes
• 25 Uncover the rice and gently fold in the dill
• 26 (Discard the dried lime if you'd like
• 27 ) Carefully unmold the rice onto a platter and serve
• 28 (If it doesn't unmold easily, simply scoop the rice into a serving bowl and scrape the crispy shards on top
• 29 )